TallyBlogs

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans‬ ‭5:5‬  ‭The lyrics A Thrill of Hope, The Weary World Rejoices have been stuck in my head. The deeper I read into it I understood those lyrics we all know and love at Christmas time. Thrill means a sudden feeling of excitement and pleasure, and Hope means, a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Trying to imagine a world without Jesus is something that seems not only impossible but difficult. I can just imagine the joy that came across the world that lonely night, imagine how the world felt before the light of Jesus came down. Today's world seems so weary, we are all constantly tired, and the world has become completely hateful. If you are feeling weary, remind yourself of the thrill of hope found in Jesus. He isn't only here at Christmas, He is here year around. Today focus on the hope ...

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ You cannot expect your relationship with God to change if you're not ready to change your heart. Becoming close to God doesn't just consist of reading your Bible, praying, and being a good person it's about surrendering to God. If you cannot surrender your heart, soul, mind, spirit, and all the things you think you want and let God transform you into all you can be then you will never be as close to God as you can be. When you open your heart to be changed by God, you become a better version of yourself. You cannot have a full relationship with God if you are unwilling to change. Change is the biggest part of becoming a Christian, you have to let go of the old ways and things you used to do in order to become a new you. Today, surrender to God all that you are and watch as He changes you into all that you are meant to be, He will transform your heart into someone patient and kin...

“Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs‬ ‭16:3‬ ‭ We sometimes focus on things that will make us happy for a moment instead of a lifetime. If you focus every decision on now then where will you be in the future, will you be happy and content? When life comes to a crossroads of decisions think of the future version of yourself that you dream of becoming, and look at where life is going to lead you if you make that decision. Pray and ask God for a sign, you can never be too sure about a decision, because God knows best. We each have a future version of ourselves that we dream to be, sometimes life throws curve balls, but it's in those moments that even though we feel like we don't have time to pray that we should, we never can have enough guidance, God will never leave you when you need Him the most. Today, if you have a decision to make, make it based on you in the future, not the things you want now, because one day in the future you will look b...

““The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.”Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:8‬ ‭ This year wasn't easy on everyone, and some want it behind you, but remember that although every chapter isn't easy, it is worth it.  Every chapter makes the whole book come together. Think about it this way, if Job had not gone through all that He did, the Bible wouldn't be complete without stories like that. No one wants to read a book that doesn't show real-life troubles and things people face, it isn't realistic.  Life is full of ups and downs, life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes we have to face hard things, but the good part is that God will always be with us no matter what season we are in. The same way God was beside Job, and blessed Him with double what He had before. If this year wasn't the best for you, then know that this next year will be double...

 “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭ The joy of Christmas comes and goes so quickly, it's here then gone. That joy that we feel at Christmas time is the joy of Jesus living within us. We can choose joy every day that we choose Jesus. We frequently try to find joy in the material things, but that is a joy that will not last very long, and fade away, but when you search for joy in Jesus, the joy will last a lifetime. We each feel sadness at times, and it took me a while to realize that it doesn't mean that I lack joy, it means that life has moments that try to bring us down but we have to find the part that is a blessing within the storm. Today, if you're searching for a joy that will last year around then search for Jesus, He is the only way to Heaven and the only for lasting joy. There are a lot of things in this world that can give you temporary joy, but a joy that lasts ...

“The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” Luke‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭ The way that we celebrate our birthday is the same way that we should do for Jesus.  We should be even more excited for His birthday than we are for our own birthday. The amazing thing is that as we have each birthday, we grow older but Jesus doesn't age. The same way He was yesterday and today He will be that way forever. His love and compassion never changed and never will. He is the same now and always. Celebrating the birth of Jesus is such a humbling thing to think of, and it's something we should celebrate every day not just on Christmas day. The day jesus was born there was joy like never before I imagined because the one true God came to the earth to save each of us. Due to Jesus dying for our sins, we can now look forward to not only spending a day that we celebrate Him once a year, but we can look forward to spending eternity with Him and worshipping Him forever...

““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ As Christmas Eve ends and we go into Christmas day, with all the activities and being busy let's remember the real meaning of Christmas, Jesus. Christmas isn't just about the presents, the food, or the things we do, instead, it is about Jesus coming down to the earth as a human to save us. Sometimes we forget what the day is really all about. Jesus didn't come down to the earth as a kind, although He was the one true King. It is so humbling to think that the one person that can save every soul was born in a manger in what would now be a barn, He wasn't born in a hospital, or even a house, but a feeding trough. Jesus was humble enough to come that way because it wasn't so much about where, how, or when it was more about why He came that really matters. He came so that each of us can live freely from sin. Toda...

“We love each other because he loved us first.” 1 John‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭ It's the feeling of Christmas every time you let the love of Jesus shine through you. Often we think that showing love and kindness doesn't amount to much, but in reality, that could be the only time in someone's life that they experience anything to do with Jesus. Not everyone grows up with the advantage of parents who take them to church, tell them about Jesus, or even hear about Him at all, sometimes the smallest gesture to share the gospel is the first time someone has heard it and truly felt His love through someone. I grew up knowing and loving Jesus, but throughout my life, I've met those who weren't as lucky as I was, they didn't grow up hearing about Him in Sunday school and then choosing to have a relationship with Him on my own, they grew up in bad situations and never heard stories from the Bible. Everyone you meet is someone you can help bring to Christ or encourage them to continue th...

“He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.” 1 Peter‬ ‭2:22‬ ‭ We each sometimes feel lonely because we often feel like no one truly understands us. I imagine that Jesus felt the same way, He wasn't just another human to walk the earth. He was and is the only human who was and ever will be completely perfect. He never sinned. The more I think about that the more amazing it is, even as a child when no one taught us our flesh told us to lie. We started as a child not even understanding what sin was and still did it. I'm sure everyone around Jesus made their mistakes and sinned, and He didn't. Imagine how misunderstood He felt being the only child that never did, and no one could ever understand how or why He didn't. He was not of this world, but only in this world. Today, when you feel misunderstood remind yourself that even though you are living in this world, you're not of it. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be th...

““But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”” Luke‬ ‭2:49‬ ‭ We can come to Jesus because He came to us. From the moment Jesus was born, even in the womb, He knew what His purpose was, and how important it was to follow through on it. He knew that all of humanity depended on Him to save us. The question is though, did Mary know? When she held her precious baby boy did she know that she was holding the Savior for all of humanity? He was going to save those who were yet born, heal the sick, and raise the dead. All moms think that their child is perfect, that is how a mom is, but did she understand the depth of how amazing He really was? Did she look at Him and know that He would save her soul and everyone around her? Did she understand the meaning of who she was truly raising? I wonder about things like that. The song about this is so deep because it's something we all question, but an even bigger question is whether we understan...

“Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.” Matthew‬ ‭2:7‬ ‭ The wise men traveled and followed a star to find Jesus, but sometimes we can't even travel a few miles to church to worship Him. The amount of effort we put into our relationship with God matters, and seeing how the Wisemen made an effort to meet Jesus to worship should inspire us to make an effort for God the same way. Wisemen in today's world still make that effort to find a place to worship Jesus, wise men seek for Jesus to find what direction their life truly needs to go. You have to be like the wisemen in the bible and go above and beyond to find the true meaning in life, that being Jesus. Today, be a wise man and still seek for Him, go above and beyond to seek for Jesus and worship Him. Here are some verses to reflect on today. “Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from...

“Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”” Matthew‬ ‭19:26‬ ‭ Within one moment God can change everything. We often times feel that the things we face will take forever to be changed, but with God, He can do anything in an instant. Think of Genesis, God said let there be light, and there's light. Things aren't as hard for God as they are for humans. God doesn't need a time scheme or to take time to think over things, God knows all and sees all, He can do something before you can even snap your fingers. When you pray, God hears, and things immediately start to shift, even when you cannot see it yet. These things are hard for us as humans to comprehend, change, or do but God sees it completely differently. When you pray use your faith in knowing that in a split moment, God can change everything for you. Today, when you're praying remind yourself that God doesn't need time, He has all things unde...

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭ As I think of the glorious night that Jesus was born all I can imagine is the moon smiling down, the stars, and all of creation feeling a rumble inside of them not knowing what it was, but it being that the Savior of all the world was just born. The most beautiful thing about Jesus' birth is He came for us, not for Himself. Not to understand the human walk, but to change the creation forever and give us a much easier way to communicate with God and be saved. When we think of the birth of Jesus we often times think of the manger, the Wisemen, and the shepherds standing by. Still, we forget the most important part, Jesus saved all of humanity that day unknowingly by Jesus to even those who didn't know what was happening. Today, think of that night and truly take in just how holy that night truly is. All of humanity was changed and we will neve...

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ When someone gives us a gift it often times sticks as a memory for years to come. The greatest gift ever given was Jesus. God gave His one and only Son to us. We were still sinners, and most did not believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world, but those who had true faith did. We should make the most of every opportunity to believe in God. Imagine being alive 2,000 years ago, walking with Jesus but somehow not comprehending the truth of who Jesus is, He is God in the human flesh, our only hope for an eternity of peace and praising Him forever. When the doubt creeps in and you find yourself wondering if God really does love you, remind yourself that God sent His one and only Son to the earth while we were still sinners, to save us from all of our sins. God's love for us is unconditional, and that is what makes Jesus our Savior the very greatest gift ever g...

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” Galatians‬ ‭5:22‬ ‭ Christmas is such a beautiful time of year, not only do we get to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but we get to see such pretty lights and decor. The word merry describes hoping others will have a happy time. When I meet a Christian I usually think of them as a cheerful and kind person wanting the best for someone. When we meet others if we are down and out and irritable, then we aren't representing the joy of Christ. When someone meets us their example of what we are should be similar to merry and bright, we should be calm, cool, collected, and kind always. Jesus treated others with kindness no matter their walk in life, He chose to be forgiving and to be kind always. Today when or if you are in a position to talk to someone, show them the true example of Christ and do exactly what Christ would do in the situatio...

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”” 1 Samuel‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭ A relationship where you must constantly beg to be treated right is never what God has for you. When God designs a person for you, He doesn't just give you half of the things you need, He gives you all the things you need. We often look too much on outward appearance when choosing someone to be in a relationship, and although you need to find them attractive you also need to love their heart. When God chooses the person meant for you, He will allow them to understand you. A lot of times we take a person with a kind heart and think they can love us right, or if they have good looks they can, but they need to love God before they will ever understand a Godly woman. We oftentimes fear we aren't good enough for people, but the truth be told when som...

“For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”Romans‬ ‭11:29‬ ‭ God doesn't withdraw His calling just because you think you're not ready or because you try to run from it. Once you're called God will never withdraw it. Sometimes we see our callings from God but it requires faith and something that we don't necessarily want to do. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh and instead, he chose to go to Tardish, which Tardish was much further than Nineveh was. He got on a boat and was eventually thrown off and swallowed by a whale. If he had gone when God originally called, he wouldn't have taken a detour and ended up in the belly of a whale. How many times do we try to run from what is right and put ourselves in a hole? Sometimes people run from their callings, but the good thing is God doesn't give up the way that we do. If you've been running from your calling, turn to God and do what you are meant to do. God doesn't call you without equipping you. Toda...

“With every bone in my body I will praise him: “Lord, who can compare with you? Who else rescues the helpless from the strong? Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”” Psalms‬ ‭35:10‬ ‭ We each have our own trials and things that we face, and we each have things we get distracted over. Sometimes we get so distracted that we forget praising God in the good times isn't enough, we have to praise Him all the time. God doesn't want a part-time you, He wants a full-time you. You cannot expect God to always be there for you if you're only sometimes there for Him. A relationship with God is a two-way street, for you to have His blessing over His life you have to put effort in also. If you've been in a rut and don't know how to grow closer with God start by praising Him, even for things that haven't happened yet. When you learn to praise God in all seasons of life then you're on the right path of growing your relationship with God. Today, ma...

“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately.” Matthew‬ ‭24:6‬ ‭ To be left behind is scary to think of, as a kid I was always scared to to even think or talk about the end times. I was afraid of it, but as I grew older I read the book of Revelation and understood it in a new way. I realized that the end of the world would be something amazing to be alive for. God chose Adam and Eve to be the first humans, imagine knowing you're chosen to be a part of the end of times. There is nothing material in this world you can take to heaven to you, but something you can is those you love. You can spread the gospel and show those you love how important eternity is. Wouldn't it be amazing to have your family in heaven with you? That would be amazing. Today, when you think of the world ending instead of being fearful, think of the things you need to accomplish and those you need to spread the gospel ...

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ All I want for Christmas this year is for Jesus to live inside of me and help me be all I am called to be. The greatest gift this world has ever been given was Jesus. The first Christmas was over 2,000 years ago, in what would now be a barn. I'm sure Mary thought there were better places to have Jesus, but He was born at the exact time and place He was meant to be. Sometimes in life, things don't happen when or where we expect them, but the good thing is that things happen for us at the perfect time. Christmas is a reminder that just because things happen when we least expect them doesn't mean that it won't be the greatest thing ever. Jesus being born was the world's greatest accomplishment. Today, remind yourself that what you truly need this Christmas is Jesus' love and forgiveness, live for Him every day, and watch the amazing things H...

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” John‬ ‭15:19‬  We might be in this world but we are not of it. We are each formed from dust, and dust we will return, but we will never fit into the world when we choose to be close to God. We are each called for a purpose, and although each of our purposes includes teaching Jesus to the world that doesn't mean we have to be a part of it. When you're trying to fit in with the world you're only lying to yourself, your purpose in Christ will take you so much higher than what the world can do. When we level up in the world we might end up with money, and material things but when we choose to level up with God we get peace, joy, hope, and things that cannot be seen but instead felt. Things that are material will fake away but things that aren't seen last forever. Today, level up in Christ instead of trying to lev...

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm.” Mark‬ ‭4:39‬ ‭ Weather the storm. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to get through the storm that we forget to ask God what can we learn from this season. Not every season in life that we go through is easy, but we can learn something from each season. Instead of rushing through the storm, learn to dance in the rain. When we go through hard times, good times, and unsure times all of them are a lesson yet to be learned. Take the season you're in and find joy in it, you're going to see a new season soon. The good thing about God is that He never forgets us in the storm, just like the rain it always will stop and the sun will shine again. Whatever you face that might be difficult know that it too shall pass, joy will come into your life and you will be so glad you didn't give up. Today, dance in the rain, while you wait for the sun ...

“The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.” Luke‬ ‭23:45‬ ‭ As I started to write a blog I had no idea what to write about today, I was confused as to what to even talk about, but the sound of the rain reminded me of a song. It talked about asking the Holy Spirit to rain down, we used to sing it in my church. I got to thinking about it and how we don't have to be in a church to find God and feel His spirit. You can feel His Spirit rain down on you anywhere. God is a God that sees and hears all, He doesn't have a certain four walls He stays in. Think of in the Bible they carried the ark of the convenient all the time, there was a veil that was around it in Jesus' day and only the priest could be with it. When Jesus died on the cross the veil tore and so did the space between us and God, we can now have on one conversations anywhere we want with God and feel His presence anywhere. Today, it doesn't ...

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭ I've seen so many people run from their calling from God, but the truth is you can never outrun God or His plans for your life. I witnessed someone running from what God was telling them and their calling, and they ended up in a place where they had no one, they were in a place where they had to listen to God, and they did, but not everyone makes the right decision in that place to decide. Think of Jonah, he ran from God and His calling, but He ended up in the belly of a whale and had no choice but to listen. Today, if you know you are truly called from God don't run from it, when God called you He also qualified you for it. I truly believe that every battle I have faced in life is for a calling God has for me, and someday I will understand what that calling really is. I have yet to understand my calling, but when I do...

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭ The Christmas season is all about joy, I mean we even sing songs about it, but where does that joy come from? We often hear from our family, friends, the gifts, and even all the decor but it's from something deeper than that. The joy we feel around Christmas can be felt all throughout the year. I haven't felt the joy of Christmas the last few Christmases I realized that I haven't felt that joy, due to feeling it all year. The kind of joy found at Christmas wasn't found through a gift, decor, or even being surrounded by people we care about and love, it was found in a manger over 2000 years ago. The joy we seek is something we can keep, we can carry through each month of the year if we seak joy in Christ. Today, ensure you're looking for the joy you need in Christ where it never leaves. His joy lasts in all seasons. Here are some ...

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James‬ ‭1:19‬ ‭ Even when you don't feel like it, you make a difference in someone's life daily. We make an impact on someone's life all the time but sometimes we don't realize just how big that impact might be. The Bible teaches us to be quick to listen and slow to speak, I didn't understand that for a long time until I realized how terrible words hurt. If you have a chance to be kind to someone always take the opportunity, you have no idea what silent battles someone faces each day that you know nothing about. Today, when you're faced with someone that might seem difficult choose kindness instead of anger towards them, be quick to listen and slow to speak. You have no idea how much of an impact you could make on someone and their situation. When you see someone facing things that you've overcome be the helping hand you might have needed i...

“So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing.” Genesis‬ ‭37:23‬  ‭The story of Joseph explains that his father gave him a coat of many colors, but his brothers were jealous that Joseph seemed to be their father's favorite. They decided they would sell Joesph put blood on his coat of many colors and tell their father he was killed. Later in the story, Joesph ends up being second in command, and they come to him for food, and he forgives them. I thought about this story in a new way today, sometimes when we are blessed others get jealous, thinking of us as God's favorite, in reality, God has no favorites. When you're being blessed others will often steal your coat of many colors, but have no fear because God will put you in second in command! God has got this, and there is no reason to worry about what others say because when God calls someone He doesn't ask for anyone else's opinion of you. Today, if you feel like everyone is try...

“So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.” Genesis‬ ‭2:1‬ ‭ So many times we feel as though we didn't accomplish all that we are supposed to, and we feel like we cannot complete everything that we are meant to accomplish. We oftentimes rush ourselves to complete a goal that cannot be done overnight or even in a week, we think that we should do things on a certain timetable but sometimes it's not humanly possible for us to be able to. I often times am so harsh on myself when the goals I set aren't accomplished when I see fit for them to be. See the thing about doing what we can and leaving the rest up to God makes things that we want to achieve much easier. The world came about by the voice of God, everything that we see the trees, the grass, the animals, the cool breeze, the water, and even humans was created by Him speaking them into existence. Today, if you're trying to achieve a goal and it seems to be something you just cann...

“They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.” Luke‬ ‭2:16‬  ‭Christmas time is here. During this time we are normally busy with Christmas shopping, planning when we are doing Christmas with our families, decorating, and buying decorations that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas isn't about the present, the decorations, or where we spend it, it's about our Savior being born and celebrating Jesus. Remember the true meaning of this season that being Jesus. Jesus was born in a manger where the sheep would eat what today would be like a trough for food. He wasn't born in a crib or a bed, He was born in a barn surrounded by animals, shepherds, angels, and His mother and Joseph. Today, remind yourself why you are celebrating, it isn't about the most beautiful tree and decorations, it isn't about the presents under the tree, or even what you have to eat that day, it's about Jesus. It's all about...

“Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and he wept aloud.” Genesis‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭ This verse shows us how love truly is meant to be. Jacob didn't just slide into Rachel's DMS and ask for her number, He worked to have her for 7 years but realized it was her sister Leah when he finally got to marry her. He then worked another 7 years to have Rachel. In total, he worked 14 years to be with her. A man willing to wait on you to be ready for a relationship is the man you need. Someone in a rush for you is never someone worthwhile. If you're a guy be willing to wait for her no matter how long that means. Waiting for someone is never a bad thing even if you're not waiting for your rachel sometimes waiting on the right one even when you don't know who that is can be hard, but in the end, it will only make your love grow deeper. I waited for years to find the person for me, and one day when I decided to give up on love God opened the door for me to find him. Today, I feel so heavy in my hear...